Seasoned, social Security optimization financial advisors in Lewiston, ME

The right financial advisor for you depends on how you weigh location, expertise, experience, the clients they typically serve, and how they work with you.

You might need a Social Security optimization advisor if you're approaching retirement and want to maximize your benefits without risking penalties or reduced payments. A common mistake is claiming benefits too early or in the wrong sequence, which can permanently lower your lifetime income. Seasoned advisors bring decades of experience navigating these complex rules to help you avoid costly errors.

  • Benefit timing strategies. Ask how they determine the best age to start benefits based on your full financial picture.
  • Spousal and survivor benefits. Confirm they understand how to coordinate benefits between you and your spouse for maximum household income.
  • Impact of work income. Ensure they consider how continuing to work affects your Social Security payments and tax implications.
  • Healthcare and long-term care planning. Given the importance in aging populations, check how they integrate Social Security decisions with your healthcare needs.

Here are top matches to get you started. Review each profile to compare experience, credentials, and approach.

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Craig D

Series 63, Series 65

Lewiston, ME

Gradient Securities, LLC

Craig Dickson is a financial advisor with Gradient Securities, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and over 23 years of industry experience. He has worked at Gradient Securities since 2012 and has been involved with several other financial and real estate ventures, including ownership roles in Investment Executives, Inc., Gonyea Enterprises, and Dickson Enterprises. Additionally, he is a licensed real estate agent with Better Homes & Gardens - The Masiello Group. Gradient Securities, LLC operates as a multi-team firm providing financial planning, consulting, non-discretionary asset management, and ERISA 3(21) retirement-plan advisory services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm emphasizes a non-discretionary model and integrates fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis with third-party manager relationships.

Retirement plans for business owners (SEP, solo 401k) Business ownership considerations Business exit / sale strategy General estate planning guidance Founder/Business Owner Executive
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Richard G

Series 63, Series 65, Series 66

Lewiston, ME

LPL Financial

Richard Garcia is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Lewiston, ME, holding Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and bringing 13 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at The Patriot Financial Group and Backriver Financial Group. He also operates a tax preparation and accounting business under the CPA Affiliate Program. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, financial institutions, corporations, and charitable organizations through a national network of advisers. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, retirement plan consulting, and brokerage services with both discretionary and non-discretionary management options.

College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.)
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Marc P

Series 63, Series 65

Lewiston, ME

Equitable Advisors

Marc Poirier is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Lewiston, ME, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 52 years of industry experience. He has been with Equitable Advisors since 1999 and previously worked at Axa Advisors, LLC. Outside of his advisory role, he is a member and owner of Poirier Associates, LLC, where he is involved in group health and voluntary insurance plans, and he serves as an estate executor and trustee for family members. Equitable Advisors serves individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, corporations, and charitable organizations, providing financial planning, retirement-plan support, and access to asset management through LPL programs and third-party asset managers. The firm uses a hybrid referral and implementation model that emphasizes individualized client plans and operates both advisory and brokerage/insurance channels.

Retirement income strategy Social Security optimization Founder/Business Owner Retired Executive Approaching retirement Baby Boomers (Born 1946-1964)
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Chad R

Series 65, Series 63

Lewiston, ME

Raymond James Financial

Chad Richard is a financial advisor with Raymond James Financial in Lewiston, ME, holding Series 65 and Series 63 credentials and 25 years of industry experience. He has been with Raymond James Financial since 2015 and owns Investment Concepts, where he serves as branch manager and advisor. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. provides financial planning and investment consulting to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, corporations, and institutions. The firm offers tailored, non-discretionary planning using analytical tools and supports municipal and public finance work, along with specialized advisory programs.

Wealth management Tax strategies for small businesses Business succession planning General estate planning guidance Founder/Business Owner Executive

Richard C

Series 63, Series 65

Lewiston, ME

Merrill

Richard Clough serves as an Associate Resident Director and Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill. In this role, he partners with clients to develop personalized wealth management strategies that reflect their life priorities, goals, and aspirations. He integrates insights from Merrill’s investment expertise with banking and lending solutions from Bank of America to create flexible financial plans responsive to changing market conditions. With nearly a decade of experience, Richard specializes in working with education, healthcare, and non-profit professionals, helping them design customized financial strategies focused on retiring well and achieving a work-optional lifestyle. His areas of expertise include legacy planning, personal retirement planning, portfolio management, socially responsible and values-based investing, and retirement income. He holds several professional designations including Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA), CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP), Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). Richard earned a Bachelor's Degree from Baker College and a Master's Degree from the College for Financial Planning. Committed to community involvement, he follows Merrill’s tradition of volunteering with organizations where he serves. Outside of work, he enjoys activities such as boating, camping, football, gymnastics, hunting, rock climbing, skiing, spending time with family, and traveling.

General retirement planning Retirement income strategy Wealth management ESG / Sustainable investing General estate planning guidance Values-based investing SRI/ESG (Socially Responsible Investing/Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance)
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Willie M

Series 63, Series 66

Cary, NC

Equitable Advisors

Willie Myles is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Cary, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 16 years of industry experience. He has worked at Equitable Advisors since 2016 and previously at AXA Advisors, LLC. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as co-chairman of a fundraising campaign for the nonprofit Alpha Light Fund Inc., focused on renovating the House of Alpha. Equitable Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual, high-net-worth, retirement plan, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients, offering financial planning, broker-dealer services, insurance distribution, and access to third-party asset management programs. The firm operates as both an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer, leveraging LPL-sponsored programs and endorsed TAMPs to deliver advisory and brokerage solutions.

Retirement income strategy Social Security optimization Founder/Business Owner Retired Executive Approaching retirement Baby Boomers (Born 1946-1964)
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Stavroula K

Series 63, Series 65

Linwood, NJ

Ameriprise

Stavroula Koutsfetsoulis is a financial advisor at Ameriprise with 25 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Ameriprise and its affiliated entities since 2011. In addition to her advisory role, she is involved in fiduciary activities as an attorney-in-fact (power of attorney). Ameriprise is a large institutional firm that provides retirement-income planning services primarily to individuals with substantial investable assets. The firm combines research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to deliver written recommendation reports through a centralized consulting team, focusing on tailored retirement income strategies.

Retirement income strategy Income planning Social Security optimization Retirement withdrawal strategies Approaching retirement
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Cassandra S

Series 63, Series 65

Plano, TX

Financial & Tax Architects, LLC

Cassandra Sanchez is a financial advisor at Financial & Tax Architects, LLC with seven years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at Fisher Investments, TIAA, US Health Advisors, and various other firms. Sanchez also had involvement with Drunken Donkey, reflecting experience outside the financial sector. Financial & Tax Architects provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients, focusing on those nearing or in retirement. The firm offers proprietary “Private Wealth Strategies” that use ETFs, individual securities, and trend-aware rebalancing, with accounts reviewed monthly and customizable strategies to meet client needs.

Retirement income strategy Social Security optimization Annuities Income planning General tax planning Retired
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Keith E

CFP®

Pittsburgh, PA

Keith L. Eliou, CFP

Keith Eliou is the principal of Keith L. Eliou, CFP, an investment management firm based in Pittsburgh, PA. He holds the CFP® designation and has one year of experience as a financial advisor. In addition to his advisory role, he practices law focusing on elder law and real estate and is involved in insurance, mortgage lending, and real estate brokerage businesses. The firm primarily serves pooled vehicles and institutional accounts, offering portfolio management, retirement plan services, and financial planning. It utilizes an open-architecture investment approach with third-party money managers and employs multiple analytical methods and strategies, conducting annual account reviews.

Social Security optimization Retirement income strategy Cash flow / budgeting Charitable giving tax strategies Business exit / sale strategy Founder/Business Owner
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Charles P

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

San Rafael, CA

WealthSpire Advisors

Charles Pyfer III is a CFP® professional with 19 years of industry experience, currently serving at Wealthspire Advisors since 2024. Prior to this, he spent 15 years at Private Ocean. Wealthspire Advisors provides wealth management, investment advisory, financial planning, and family office support to a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, retirement plans, and nonprofit organizations. The firm employs a relationship-driven, customized investment approach that emphasizes diversified, institutional-style asset allocation and utilizes a range of investment vehicles and third-party platforms for comprehensive portfolio management.

Retirement income strategy Social Security optimization Roth conversion strategy Tax-loss harvesting Private / alternative investments Founder/Business Owner Retired Mid-Career Professionals Established Professionals
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Scott M

Series 63, Series 65

New York, NY

Morgan Stanley

Scott Mahoney is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in New York, NY, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 34 years of industry experience. He has been with Morgan Stanley since 2009, including roles at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved with Giants Foot Cubed LLC. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is a large SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that serves both individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a wide range of advisory programs and financial planning services supported by structured planning tools and broad investment resources.

General estate planning guidance
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Elizabeth B

Series 66

New York, NY

J.P. Morgan Securities

Elizabeth Brown is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in New York, NY, where she has worked since 2012. She has 26 years of industry experience. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to clients such as corporations, foundations, and defined contribution plan sponsors, offering asset allocation advice, investment manager and fund searches, and customized performance reporting through a select group of Wealth Advisors. The firm combines large institutional advisory operations with brokerage, distribution, and investment management capabilities.

Wealth management Executive Founder/Business Owner
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David C

Series 63, Series 65

Houston, TX

LPL Financial

David Cade is a financial advisor at LPL Financial with 42 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked for Next Financial Group, Inc. for 20 years before joining LPL Financial in 2025. LPL Financial is a national SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and financial planning services with both discretionary and non-discretionary management, utilizing research and model portfolios to support diversified investment strategies.

College savings (529s, UTMA, etc.)
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Sarah C

CFP®, Series 63, Series 65

Boston, MA

Santander Securities LLC

Sarah Currier Barrella is a CFP® professional with 26 years of experience in financial advisory services. She currently works at Santander Securities LLC and Santander Bank, NA, having previously held positions at TD Bank and Citizens Securities, Inc. Barrella is based in Boston, MA. Santander Securities LLC serves a broad retail client base with approximately $3.14 billion in regulatory assets under management across 10,800 client relationships. The firm offers investment advisory services, portfolio management through wrap-fee programs, and financial planning, operating both as a registered investment adviser and a FINRA-registered broker-dealer.

ESG / Sustainable investing Tax-loss harvesting General retirement planning Income planning Founder/Business Owner
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Linda P

Series 63

Mt. Laurel, NJ

BC Advisors, LLC

Linda Postorivo is a financial advisor at BC Advisors, LLC with 43 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 63 designation and has worked with MAFG RIA Services, Inc. since 1994 and with Mid-Atlantic Companies since 1981. BC Advisors provides investment advisory and portfolio management services primarily to high-net-worth individuals, family trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, and other institutional clients. The firm emphasizes non-discretionary investment recommendations grounded in fundamental analysis alongside technical and cyclical reviews, employing a variety of strategies including long-term, short-term, trading, options, and alternatives.

Active portfolio management

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